The advantages of combining 3D printing with turning process. Case study

Abstract

The paper presents a case study which the additive manufacturing technology is combined with finishing process by cutting operations (turning) for manufacturing a part. The part was manufactured through additive manufacturing, using a 3D printer and the and the finishing process is performed by a lathe, resulting in technological properties and the corresponding dimensional accuracy. The research paper also contains the analysis of the roughness and other properties of the material from which the final part will be made. The manufactured part will be used as a support for the blades of a fan during the assembly process, which emphasizes that a part obtained by additive manufacturing (3D printing) can replace a part obtained by casting or fabrication by total cutting. In conclusion, obtaining the manufactured part by combining the two manufacturing processes, the lead time and the production cost has been significantly reduced, while the quality of the obtained product also increased, obtaining a very good roughness.